


Worth It

by daydreamsonacloudyday



Series: Nova Ryder [4]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 17:30:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11559993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydreamsonacloudyday/pseuds/daydreamsonacloudyday
Summary: Nova gets hurt saving Liam from an architect, and he worries about her.(angst, fluff)





	Worth It

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first Architect Nova and co. encounter. It's during the Old Skinner quest, and the squad splits up into three groups to find what killed Bishop. This is also my first Andromeda fic featuring Nova, so I hope everyone likes it!

Liam braced for impact behind the rock he and Nova were taking cover behind, the ground shaking with the force of multiple grenade explosions.

"So," he started, glancing around the rock at the behemoth of a machine they were facing, "we're never going to get this thing down without the others."

"You're supposed to be the optimistic one," Nova shot back. "Anyone have an idea?" She glanced to Jaal hiding behind another rock nearby. "Jaal?"

"Hide," the angaran drawled.

Liam hugged a laugh. "I'm with Jaal," he commented, Nova rolling her eyes at the two of them.

"Guys!" she stared over the comms. "Are you any closer to getting here? We're kind of getting—"

She was cut off by another explosion of grenades, this one shattering the rock they were behind, effectively destroying their cover. The force from the blasts sent Liam flying, and he landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him.

 _Ow_ , he thought, trying to catch his breath. He rolled over and started to lift himself off the ground—he was out in the open after all—when he heard Nova scream his name. He jerked his gaze towards her, finding her on the ground, her arm reaching towards him, a blue biotic glow dancing around her outstretched fingers.

Suddenly, a matching blue barrier appeared around him. Through its transparent glow he could see the remnant abyssal's turret firing right at him, each round hitting the shield Nova created. He slowly stood up as he glanced back towards Nova, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she held the barrier up against the incoming fire.

When the turret stopped and the barrier was lifted, Liam started to move towards the nearest cover. He'd barely taken a few steps before another wall of biotic energy appeared around him, and he whirled around to see the machine flinging its ginormous leg right against the blue barrier.

 _Shit_.

He looked to Nova again, this time meeting her glowing, blue-tinged gaze. "When it stops, get to cover and don't stop shooting it!" she called out, her voice muffled through the wall of biotics between them.

The moment she lifted her shield, he ran, sliding behind the rock Jaal was using as cover. Immediately, the two of them started shooting the thing, which was now focused on Nova. She was staring it down, blue tendrils of energy swirling over both of her arms as she pointed them towards the machine.

Liam knew Nova was a capable biotic—he'd seen her do some pretty awesome things before. But what she was doing in that moment was unlike anything he'd ever seen her do.

It was almost like she was dancing, with the way she gracefully moved her arms and hands, her biotics responding with each movement. Her arms rose, and blue energy swallowed up the bottom of the remnant machine's leg. With a quick twist of her hands, her biotic field spun as well, lifting the machine's leg and causing the massive thing to lose its balance and fall to the ground.

"Holy shit, that was awesome!" Liam called out, earning a weary smile from Nova, and he grinned back at her.

The smile fell from his face a moment later when the remnant abyssal screeched and clamored back to its feet, its fury now focused on Nova again. It pointed its head right at her, its mouth-like prongs opening up to reveal the pulsing, glowing conduit inside. It took Liam a second to figure out what it was doing, but when he did, he started running towards Nova as fast as he could, waving at her to move.

"It's charging, get to cover!" he yelled, watching as she processed what he said and darted her gaze around for something to hide behind. Liam's heart beat frantically in his chest as he ran towards her—there was nothing close enough for her to hide behind.

"Get back!" she screamed at him, throwing him backwards with a burst of biotics before creating a barrier around herself. He landed right on his ass just as the remnant fired a beam of energy at her.

Nova's barrier held up against the bright energy pulse, and Liam let out a relieved breath.

"Liam," SAM's voice said over his comm. "I will do what I can, but the Pathfinder will not be able to maintain her barrier for long. The energy pulse from the remnant abyssal is too strong." Liam scrambled to his feet and pulled out his gun, starting to shoot the machine anywhere he could, trying to get its attention away from Nova. "Aim for the conduits on its legs," SAM supplied, and he did as the AI commanded.

He stopped to reload his gun, his eyes darting towards Nova within her blue shield. She'd dropped to one knee, her outstretched arms unsteady as she kept the barrier up. The machine's energy pulse finally ended, but there was no reprieve for her, its turret starting to fire at her from one of its tentacles under its head.

A drop of blood dripped from Nova's nose as she struggled to remain upright, a grimace of intense pain on her face. Liam started shooting the remnant machine again and ran back towards her. He had no idea how much longer Nova was going to be able to hold her barrier—he just knew he had to get to her.

With a scream, Nova's biotics flared out from around her, sending Liam flying backwards again, while hitting the machine right in the face and snapping it's head backwards. He was on his feet in an instant, finally closing the gap between him and Nova. She'd collapsed after she flared, and he grabbed her, holding her close as he put himself between her and the remnant abyssal. He closed his eyes, and waited for the next round of turret fire, but it never came.

"Pick on someone your own size you giant worm!" Drack shouted as he came barreling into the battle, running right into the machine's leg. Cora was with him, making her way towards him and Nova as she and Jaal fought off other remnant bots the machine must have summoned. Peebee and Vetra joined the fight from the other direction, both focusing their fire on the giant machine before them.

Liam huffed in relief before turning his attention to the woman in his arms.

"Liam," she croaked, a tiny smile on her lips as she stared up at him, barely able to keep those beautiful eyes open. "You're okay."

"Yeah, I'm okay," he breathed. "You saved me."

"Good. I… I…"

She didn't finish, her head lolling back as her eyes closed, his heart immediately pounding into overdrive.

"Nova!" he shouted, breathing rapidly, "Nova! Stay with me!" He shook her body but she didn't respond, lying in his arms lifelessly. "SAM! What's happening?!"

"She is still alive, but the use of biotics has taken an extreme physical toll on her body," the AI responded, a breath of relief escaping Liam. "Her blood sugar and electrolyte levels are dangerously low."

"That can happen?"

"Yes. What she did required an immense amount of energy. Generating and maintaining this an amount of energy for a substantial period of time takes a significant toll on humans." SAM paused, almost as if he were hesitating. "If she does not receive medical attention soon, she may die."

Liam blinked rapidly as he processed what SAM said, a knot forming in his throat.

The woman he loved was dying.

\- . - . - . - . -

Nova groaned as she tried to sit up, squinting her eyes against the light in the medbay. She took a look at her surroundings, noting the IV drip attached to her arm, and the wide eyed man at her bedside.

"Liam!" she shouted, jerking upright. Her head started pulsing and throbbing from moving too fast, and she steadied herself, her gaze falling on him. "You're alive," she breathed.

"Me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "You're the one in the hospital bed!"

"It's a medbay," she corrected, her lips curling into a smile. "Are you worried about me?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Now you know how I feel when _you_ do reckless things."

Liam frowned. "That is _not_ a fun feeling."

"No, it isn't." Shifting herself in the bed, Nova shot him an apologetic look. "But I'm sorry if I made you worry. I was in a little over my head."

"A _little_?"

She huffed a laugh and shoved him in the arm. "Shut up."

Liam laughed at her and she rolled her eyes before shaking her head. His laughter died down and his lips pressed together into a thin line. He wouldn't meet her eyes, and Nova furrowed her brows, confused at his sudden change in demeanor.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said, his gaze finally meeting hers again. "I don't know what we would do without you."

Frowning, Nova glared at him. "Without _the Pathfinder_?" she murmured, bitterness seeping into her words.

Liam didn't answer at first, instead holding her gaze, his brown eyes boring into hers. Nova swallowed hard as he lifted his hand and brushed his fingers over her cheek, the faint, barely there touch sending shivers down her spine. He hesitantly cupped her cheek with his hand, her wide eyes locked on his as her heart thrummed rapidly in her chest.

"I don't know what _I_ would do without you," he clarified, voice low.

Inhaling sharply at his words, Nova bit her lip, her gaze dropping to his lips.

"Liam," she breathed, looking back to his eyes, her stomach flipping when she saw he was staring at her mouth. Parting her lips, Nova couldn't help but drop her gaze back to his lips, the urge to kiss him completely _overwhelming_.

Liam inched forward, and she held her breath as he moved closer to her, her eyes fluttering closed.

Before their lips met, the medbay door opened, and Nova's eyes snapped open as she pulled back and cleared her throat. Liam recovered quickly, sitting up and glancing toward the door at their untimely intruders—Lexi and Cora.

"Glad to see you're awake, Ryder," Lexi began, looking her over as she came to her bedside. "I've given you fluids, but you still might be feeling the effects from your earlier biotic use."

"Yeah, I am."

"Here," Cora said, holding out one of Nova's favorite blue-raspberry energy drinks, "this should help."

"Thanks," Nova replied, taking the drink from her while Lexi started running scans.

"What you did was dangerous, but impressive," Cora continued. "I didn't realize you could spike that high."

"Yeah, well, SAM helped."

"All I did was bolster your natural biotic ability," SAM responded.

"Stop being modest," Liam said with a grin. "Now we all know you're a badass biotic just like Cora."

Nova grinned at him. "You should see what else I can do."

"All right, that's enough excitement for one day, "Lexi cut in. "You need to rest."

Slumping back in the bed, Nova rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine."

Lexi, Cora, and Liam started to leave the medbay, when Liam stopped before the door and turned back around to face her.

"Nova?"

Yeah?" she replied, ignoring the curious looks Cora and Lexi gave each other before they left.

For a moment, Liam just stared at her, and she stared back, waiting for him to say _something_. "Thanks for saving me back there," he finally said, and she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"There was no way in hell I was going to let that big, giant, remnant, worm-thing hurt you."

A small smile graced his lips. "Peebee's calling it an architect. She thinks it's got something to do with digging the underground caves the vaults are in."

"Architect, right." Nova went to continue, but hesitated, her gaze dropping to her hands before meeting his again. "I… I don't know what I would do without you either, Liam," she said quietly.

His little smile grew into one of those full, lopsided grins she loved, and she couldn't help but smile back at him.

"I should let you rest," Liam answered, that grin still lighting up his face. "Feel better."

Nova nodded and watched him leave, letting out a dreamy sigh after the door closed behind him. Their conversation replayed in her mind, and she couldn't stop smiling.

Yeah, she might have almost died, but it was _totally_ worth it.


End file.
